Yes, it was pre-decided that Priyanka Gandhi will become the latest Gandhi in the active politics of the Congress before the crucial 2019 polls; so was the fact that she will be declared the general secretary of the party and handed over the charge of Uttar Pradesh.
But, if the coos of cuckoos on 24 Akbar Road are to be shed an ear, then all of this was not to happen any time sooner than February 1. When Rahul announced the younger Gandhi sibling the general secretary of the party, Priyanka was in America for her daughter’s treatment.
UP-in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad had caught a 4o’clock flight to Lucknow that morning where he was scheduled to attend more than half a dozen meetings, completely unaware of what was to follow in the course of the day.
The very day, Rahul’s high-profile rally in Amethi was also already fixed.
Raja Bhaiya and Shivpal Yadav were also to hold a crucial meeting that evening on how to carry forward their attempts at forming a coalition with the Congress. Raja Bhaiya has a strong hold over Pratapgarh, Sultanpur and Amethi and so he was looking forward to demand four seats from the Congress of which he was bullish of bagging at least two.
Amid all this, the entry of Priyanka Gandhi, willing or unwilling, into the politics is a surprising move.
Trusted sources tell that the Gandhi clan was tipped that the central government was all set to arrest Priyanka’s husband Robert Vadra. And so, enters Priyanka into active politics as a checks-and-balances move.